Technically, Day 1 was on the first of January, however, we landed at 10.30pm and got to the hotel around 11.30pm, so the fun didn’t begin until the next day (the official Day 1!).

We flew Jetstar from Brisbane to Perth because we booked the flights before there was a Gold Coast to Perth option, which is also, according to a flight attendant, much less busy than the BNE > PER flight. Next time!

We knew straight away it was going to be a good trip when we got to the car rental shop (Thrifty) and got offered a free upgrade. Driving away in a brand-new Ford Ranger was a very good omen. We loved the Ranger so so much and we almost shed a tear giving it back at the end of the trip.

We checked into the Adnate Perth in the CBD and immediately got into our robes to watch a movie.

Waking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the hotel room, we decided to

explore the CBD in search of coffee. We saw Parliament House, London

Court (a street styled to look like old London complete with a clock

tower) and Hay Street Mall, but almost no other people.

Granted, it was 7.30am the morning after a public holiday, but it felt a bit

eerie. After chatting to locals throughout our trip we confirmed that in

Perth, the place to be is near the beaches, rather than the city itself.

After our stroll through the city, we decided to get into our swimmers and

head down to Cottesloe Beach. As expected, this was where everyone

was, starting their day with a swim and a coffee.

We followed suit, grabbing coffee and breakfast from Ol’ Buoy, a pop-up

kiosk built into Cottesloe’s iconic Indiana Teahouse building. We sat on

the grassy slopes above the beach and people-watched while we ate,

soaking in the post-swim morning sun.

Still adjusting to the time difference and the late flight, we grabbed a

quick lunch and headed back to the hotel for an afternoon nap.

Feeling well-rested, we headed up to Scarborough Beach to check out

the sunset markets, which are on every Thursday from 5-9pm during the

summer.

Held outside the Amphitheatre overlooking the beach, there was lots and

lots of stalls offering over 60 international cuisines and various different

retail products.

Joey bought a Tottenham jersey for a bargain apparently and then we

both had some Takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls) as an entrée. For

mains, Joey got a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) and I got gozlemé

(Turkish flatbread filled with chicken and spinach).

We nabbed a spot in the packed amphitheatre with a view of the sun

setting over the beach and a DJ performing in the centre accompanied

by one man absolutely going for it on the dance floor (shout out

Scarborough Dancing Man).

After a few rounds of Monopoly Deal (which Joey won, he wants

everyone to know), the open space at the bottom of the amphitheatre in

front of the DJ gradually began filling with people dancing along. Before

too long, it had turned into a kind of community rave with an audience.

The atmosphere was amazing with an infectious joy and sense of

community filling the whole amphitheatre and beach. Around 7.30pm we

joined in the dancing (to Joey’s reluctance) as the sun was setting and

the DJ paused the music so that everyone could “clap as the sun goes

down and appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful and

diverse country,”. It was a truly unique experience.

(Joey did wonder if it was the Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast equivalent in

Perth – as in steered clear of by locals - however local friends said they

still liked to go on occasion.)

After a bit of a sleep-in (which is practically a pre-requisite on holiday), I walked to the botanical gardens. There are multiple walking trails that you can complete in the gardens (which can be found here), however I only had time for the Law Walk, which was a 2.5km loop that took approx. 40 minutes.

It was a beautiful trail that started at the memorial statues and wound down along the Mount Eliza escarpment with beautiful views of the Swan River almost the whole way.

After completing it and taking many, many pictures, I walked back to the hotel to get ready to go to Rottnest Island. (rottnest ready)

You can either get the ferry from Perth (a 90min journey to Rottnest, travelling down the Swan River) or from Fremantle (further south, 30min journey). We chose the latter and drove down to Fremantle for our 11.30am ferry.

NOTE: Please ensure you leave adequate time to find a park in peak summer holidays and learn from our mistakes, which was to 1. dilly-dally in getting a sandwich from Peggy’s in Freo (although highly recommend Peggy’s, just at a time where you can enjoy it at your leisure) and then 2. drive around like headless chooks looking for a saving grace of a parking space 10 minutes before the ferry is due to leave, before 3. ultimately deciding to park in a 15-minute spot on the street and risk getting a ticket.

The stressful parking situation aside, we made it onto the ferry in time and enjoyed the half-hour trip with Rottnest Express across to the island.

Stepping off the ferry, the first thing you see is the crystal-clear water accented by contrasting patches of dark-blue, with scattered yachts perched atop it. It was beautiful.

Admiring the views all around as we went (and keeping an eye out for the famous quokkas), we made our way to the bike rental store. We quickly realised our next mistake, which was to not pre-book a bike before we went. There are no cars on the island, so transport-wise you can either book a bike directly with your ferry company, who brings one across for you or online with Pedal & Flipper Hire, neither of which we did. You can also catch the bus, which may be preferable if travelling with little ones.

Undeterred, we decided to walk to a beach called Parakeet Bay, reasoning that we could enjoy the scenery along the way. It was a 40 minute, relatively flat walk and it ended up working out alright (although the bikes would have been better).

Once we got to Parakeet Bay and its neighbour, Geordie Bay, it was all worth it. The sandbank dotted with native shrubs hid a pristine bay, hugged on each side by rocks acting as a shelter from the wind. We immediately dumped our stuff on the sand and ran into the cool, clear water. I swam around until my fingertips were wrinkly before soaking up the sun on the soft, white sand.

After a while, we decided to move on to the next beach, aware that we had to make the most of the island before our allotted return time.

Along the way, we finally ran into some quokkas! Their friendly reputation preceded them and they dutifully smiled in some selfies before scurrying away.

The next beach we visited was Pinky Beach, which is below the Bathurst Lighthouse. It was also spectacular and the viewpoint from the lighthouse was nothing short of amazing.

However, with all the walking and swimming, we had worked up an appetite so we decided to stop in at the Hotel Rottnest for some food and drinks. We ordered the lobster rolls and fish tacos, which were divine.

Finally, our 5.30pm return time rolled around and we reluctantly said goodbye to Rottnest Island and boarded the ferry home.

The trip back was quite choppy and we were relieved to pull into the ferry terminal, despite being entertained watching passengers try to make it back to their seats without spilling their beers.

We met some friends for a drink at Gage Roads Brew Co, which is right next to ferry terminal at Victoria Quay. It was a great way to end the day, with a lively atmosphere and a beautiful view of the sunset.

One of Joey’s friends works at Untitled Group, who run some big music festivals here in Australia. He was generous enough to give us both VIP tickets to the Wildlands festival in Perth while we were visiting.

After tossing up between having a wholesome day and feeling fresh during our holiday, we decided the opportunity was too good to pass up.

We convinced our friends to get tickets and come with us too. We all got ready at the hotel and then made our way up to the showgrounds.

The festival was amazing (especially Sammy Virji, Marlon Hoffstadt and R.L. Grime) and we had a great time. Joey even ended up backstage watching R.L. Grime at the afterparty (I went back to the hotel and got UberEats - no regrets).

Definitely not waking up as fresh as we did the day before, we were determined to still make the most of the day, rather than feeling sorry for ourselves in our hotel room.

We drove 25 minutes down to Fremantle again to properly explore it. We saw the striking old prison and walked through the main streets. We visited Fremantle Markets; a bustling hub of various cuisines, eclectic

knick-knacks and vendors. We browsed through various vintage stores, hunting out unique finds.

The highlight of the day, however, was going to Escapade Escape Rooms. After solving a riddle written on the outside of the door whilst walking past, we were convinced and decided to do an escape room for the first time. The one we completed was paranormal-themed and we nearly jumped out of our skins solving some of the clues, but it was so much fun.

We went to Bread in Common for dinner, which was a cool venue set up in an old warehouse. The food was amazing and what we needed after a big day.

There was so much to do in Fremantle and many things on my bucket list left undone, I deeply regretted not spending enough time there.

However, I can’t wait to go back another day and complete the rest of it.